After years in the wilderness, Schalke produced one of their best displays in years with a 3-1 win at Leipzig. Schalke may have finally found their perfect coach in David Wagner, writes DW's Michael da Silva.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Hartmann
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There was a moment in first-half stoppage time, when it was clear it was already party time for Schalke. Leading 2-0, Suat Serdar beat two RB Leipzig players and found Amine Harit, who flicked the ball over the head of Marcel Halstenberg. It's been a long time since the Bundesliga club have played with this kind of swagger.
Schalke have been searching for their perfect head coach for some time. Their quest for silverware stretches back to Ralf Rangnick's brief reign in 2011 and they've not been in genuine title contention since 2010, when Felix Magath guided them to second, five points behind Bayern Munich. The Royal Blues have had a few false dawns in the decade since, but they've finally found their man.
DW's Michael Da Silva
Schalke's run of three straight wins coming into this game was tempered by the mediocre opposition they'd beaten along the way. Leipzig were a step up from Hertha Berlin, Paderborn and Mainz, and hadn't lost at home in eight months.
Schalke made sure they lost this one. David Wagner's side played them off the park, with a swashbuckling brand of football that has been absent from their game for a long time. Assured on the ball, compact without it, and ruthless in front of goal, it was the kind of slick performance for which Leipzig themselves have become known. Even David Wagner's opposite number, Julian Nagelsmann, had to concede that his team were outperformed in every department.
It was a personal victory for Wagner too, against a man widely considered the best young coach in Germany. Wagner has Schalke working harder than before and, for the first time in a long time, has cultivated a togetherness in the squad that had been missing, something remarked on by the linchpins in Wagner's midfield, Serdar and Omar Mascarell, before the game: "We've come together more as a team," said Serdar. "We're generally fitter than last season," added Mascarell. "The way we're playing, aggressively with lots of running, is a lot of fun."
Schalke were fun to watch, illustrated best when the impressive Rabbi Matondo, the Welsh teenager plucked from the Manchester City academy last summer, collected Amine Harit's perfectly weighted pass and expertly stabbed the ball beyond the advancing Peter Gulacsi. Matondo and the wonderfully talented Harit are just two of the youngsters being given the freedom to express themselves under Wagner, and they combined to repay the coach with a goal of the highest quality.
Wagner was quick to express his pride for his players, but was just as quick to keep expectations low when he reminded the assembled press in Leipzig that the season was only six games old. That won't stop Schalke fans getting excited by what they've seen under the new regime though. It's worth remembering that when Wagner took charge of Schalke, they had just come off an excruciating season that included the threat of relegation. Six games into the new season and that feels like a lot longer than six months ago.
Bundesliga Matchday 6 in pictures
Champions Bayern Munich sit at the top of the table once again as RB Leipzig's unbeaten run was ended by Schalke. Elsewhere, Vedad Ibisevic was the hero for Hertha as they crushed Cologne, while Freiburg are up to third.
Image: Reuters/W. Rattay
Cologne 0 - 4 Hertha Berlin
Vedad Ibisevic came off the bench to bag a brace as Hertha won big against ten-man Cologne. Javairo Dilrosun put Hertha ahead, but the defining moment came just before halftime, when Cologne's Jorge Mere was shown a straight red for a rash challenge. Ibisevic put the game out of reach for the hosts with two goals within five minutes of coming off the bench, and Dedryck Boyata added a late fourth.
Image: Imago Images/M. Müller
Fortuna Düsseldorf 1 - 2 Freiburg
Luca Waldschmidt scored a fine solo goal as Freiburg's winning run continued, sending them up to third in the table. The hosts took the lead through Rouwen Hennings, but Freiburg leveled on the stroke of halftime through Jonathan Schmidt's close-range finish. The winner came courtesy of Waldschmidt with nine minutes to play, when the young Germany star beat two players and let fly from distance.
Image: AFP/I. Fassbender
Borussia Dortmund 2 - 2 Werder Bremen
Dortmund missed the chance to keep the heat on Bayern Munich, succumbing to a draw with Bremen. The visitors took an early lead through Milot Rashica, but that was quickly cancelled out by Mario Götze, who headed in the equalizer on his first start of the season. Marco Reus seemed to put Dortmund on the path to victory before halftime, but Marco Friedl's header ensured a share of the points.
Image: Imago Images/J. Huebner
Paderborn 2 - 3 Bayern Munich
The champions went top with a win that was more nervy than it needed to be. Serge Gnabry opened the scoring after a brilliant through ball from Coutinho in the first half before the pair reversed roles after the break. Substitute Kai Pröger crashed home a bouncing ball on 68 minutes before Robert Lewandowski looked to have sealed it. A late Jamilu Collins goal wasn't quite enough for the hosts.
Image: Reuters/W. Rattay
RB Leipzig 1 - 3 Schalke
Amine Harit scored his fourth of the season from the penalty spot as resurgent Schalke inflicted Leipzig's first loss of the season. Harit's penalty at the end of the first half was sandwiched between a Salif Sane header and a first Bundesliga strike from young Welsh winger Rabbi Matondo. Despite Emil Forsberg's late consolation, David Wagner's Royal Blues have now won four on the bounce.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/B. Streubel
Hoffenheim 0 - 3 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goals from Alassane Plea, Marcus Thuram and Florian Neuhaus helped the improving Foals to a win over a Hoffenheim side struggling to adjust to the post-Julian Nagelsmann era. Thuram wriggled down the right before finding Plea for the 43rd minute opener before driving in to the area to add the finishing touch to a counterattack. Neuhaus' late effort ensured Gladbach's third consecutive win.
Image: Imago/Nordphoto
Mainz 0 - 1 Wolfsburg
An early header from Marcel Tisserand settled the kind of game that showed why blunt Mainz are down at the wrong end of the table. The DR Congo international rose to nod home a ninth minute corner and kept the Wolves unbeaten start to the league season alive.
Image: Imago/J. Huebner
Augsburg 0 - 3 Bayer Leverkusen
Augsburg's rotten record against Saturday's visitors continued after a late surge from Leverkusen wrapped up the points. Florian Niederlechner turned in to his own net to give Peter Bosz's side a first half lead before Kevin Volland and Kai Havertz both scored in the final quarter of the match to seal the victory.
Image: Imago Images/C. Kolbert
Union Berlin 1 - 2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Union's famous win over Borussia Dortmund is fast becoming a distant memory as goals from summer signings Bas Dost and Andre Silva secured the Eagles a Friday night win. A late strike from substitute Anthony Ujah couldn't quite spark the desired comeback and the capital club are looking over their shoulders.
